Chapter 28

Naruto and Kushina were met with a warm dinner and friendly smiles…well friendly smiles from everyone but the eight year old. Naruto enjoyed his meal, even as scarce food was in Nami, Tazuna and Tsunami went out of their way to feed them as best they could.

"This is fantastic, Tsunami-san," Naruto commented.

"I agree," Kushina added, "but you don't have to treat us like this everyday. We've already signed a contract on behalf of Konoha. We're not going anywhere until the job's done."

Tsunami shook her head. "It's the least we can do for what you're doing for us."

"It's not like you're able to do anything anyway!" Inari snapped, stopping all conversation. "It's no use to stand up to Gato! You wouldn't know because you don't know suffering as we have!"

"Inari!" Tsunami scolded but the boy had already run away. "I–I am sorry. He's…"

Naruto shook his head before Tsunami could finish. "He must've been through a lot to react like that. We completely understand."

Kushina only nodded with him but she decided to be the bearer of bad news. "Also…it seems that Zabuza is still alive."

"What?!" Tazuna exclaimed, "but the hunter nin–"

"-hunter-nin do not use senbon as assassination weapons unless it is laced with poison. A skilled enough practitioner could have targeted Zabuza's nerves and put him in a death-like state," Naruto added, in an expression of faux surprise. "I should have confirmed his death. I was too careless. I apologise."

Tazuna gulped. "W–will you be able to handle him again?"

Naruto nodded, giving him and Tsunami a confident smile. "Ofcourse."

Both looked relieved to hear that.

"In the meantime," Kushina spoke up, a mischievous grin on her face.

Naruto had come to be afraid of those grins.

"We should better be safe than sorry. If you'd like, we can offer you training in some of the shinobi arts such that you can defend yourself and your family," Kushina continued, directing her statement to Tsunami, who looked wide-eyed.

"M–me?" Tsunami said, "No, I'm too old. I can't possibly be a ninja."

"You're not too old and we're not asking you to become a ninja," Kushina said, "It is just an offer we'd like to give in case you…no longer want anyone else to take advantage of you and your family."

Tsunami and Tazuna looked at each other for a moment before looking back at Naruto and Kushina.

"Could we…have some time to talk about this?" Tsunami asked hesitantly.

Kushina nodded to that.

Naruto decided to change the topic. "It seems that the majority of this island is a mangrove forest. It wouldn't be too difficult to find food here, right?"

"Yes that's right," Tazuna said, smiling. "We occasionally hunt for types of fowl and catch plenty of crabs, though Gato's tyrannical reign has prevented us from doing so safely. He…he has broken the will of the people in this country. We've been oppressed for too long…"

Naruto looked solemn and a spark of anger rushed through him.

"I…see, but it wouldn't be a problem if I'm the one going hunting, would it?" Naruto asked. "I can help feed those who need it here, as well as repay your generosity by giving some of what I manage to acquire to you."

"You…you'd do that for us?" Tazuna said, astonished.

Naruto smiled. "Of course. It's of no difficulty for me."

Both Tazuna and Tsunami brightened up at those words.

Kushina smiled proudly at her son.

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Over the next few days, Naruto spent his time hunting for food, guarding Tazuna, training Tsunami who'd agreed to be trained after talking with her father, and giving out the hunted food discreetly to people in need…which was practically everyone. With the use of his shadow clones, it hadn't been a problem for him. By now, most in the village knew his face as a kindly one and a small spark of hope began to ignite once more underneath the thought to be dead embers of the people's will. Naruto just wished that this widespread method of helping people wouldn't expose him too soon to Gato…not that it mattered anyway. It should be a few days until the completion of the bridge and the subsequent confrontation.

If not, then it was just extra steps for Naruto. No, Naruto wanted this wave mission for a particular purpose. He wanted to see whether he was able to spread the teaching of Ninshu to a small sample size of people before trying it out in the whole world. To remind the world again what was the purpose behind the gift of chakra. To share it with people and allow each other to understand one another even without knowing their languages. Naruto wanted to spread peace and understanding and values and everything he stood for.

It was going to be hard.

But he was up for the challenge. He'd make old man Hagoromo proud.

First to establish a base of operations for this. To create a Shrine of Ninshu. A temple in which people could form a connection with, to understand the message he was giving.

Ninshu shrines had been established by believers before, but none had the power Naruto had to enforce it, to protect those that believed.

Naruto had a plan that he'd been working part time over the last year. He couldn't just go around creating shrines and leaving them when he needed to return to konoha, as his shadow clones would dissipate every time he fell unconscious…and despite his extraordinary stamina, he couldn't go sleepless forever.

He needed to develop a new jutsu, to create a clone that is permanent and could survive on its own as well as sending packets of memories to the original in real time. A clone without the need to sleep, the need to eat, the need to reproduce once a week like what he's been going through. A homunculi.

The past year, he'd spent hours upon hours studying the nidaime's notes on developing the shadow clone–one that Hiruzen gave him. He drew on some of its principles to concoct and design this new clone technique…a jutsu probably only he could use due to its extensive chaka requirement.

He was so close now. He'd done test runs of it but there was always something missing. Something…lacking.

He just didn't know what it was.

Naruto sighed as he walked towards the forest, cleaning his thoughts and losing himself to the spirit of nature. It was in the afternoon now and he'd just finished lunch. Kushina had decided to stay with Tsunami to discuss something while his other clones began their vigilant duties.

When he got to a clearing, he laid down on the grass, thinking nothing of how this moment seemed so utterly familiar to him. He wanted to relax just for a bit, perhaps he'd come to an epiphany at the oddest times.

He sensed someone nearby, someone approaching. Their soul was…light, very light and only a tinge of darkness. It was extraordinary for a shinobi to have this light of a soul, especially after all he's been through…

He knew this presence…and he remembered this moment now all those years ago. A moment that changed who he was.

Naruto closed his eyes and pretended to sleep and sure enough, a hand shook him awake a moment later.

"Excuse me," the dark long haired boy said. Gods he looked befitting of a stunning kunoichi. It was truly unfair that he was gifted with such perfect feminine features when he was a boy.

"Hm?" Naruto said, pretending to be drowsy, "who're you?"

The boy smiled. "My name is Haku and I just thought that it would be dangerous for you to go to sleep here. Who knows what can happen in the forest."

Naruto gave him a smile in return as he regained himself from his 'sleepiness'. "It's nice to meet you, Haku. My name is Naruto."

Naruto glanced at the basket Haku was carrying. "What're you doing here, Haku?"

"I'm collecting herbs…"

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Naruto spent the next few hours helping Haku collect herbs and getting to know him.

"Are you strong, Naruto?" Haku asked him suddenly under the meadows.

Finally the question came.

"I am," Naruto replied, "and I will become even stronger."

"Why do you wish to be stronger?" Haku probed.

Naruto smiled at him. "Because I have the world to protect."

Haku's eyes widened. "...that's…"

"I know," Naruto continued. "It seems arrogant of me to say that but it's true…I will protect everyone who needs my help, and to do that, I must be strong."

Haku only stared at him. Not knowing what to say.

So it was Naruto's turn to ask her something.

"What do you think strength is, Haku?" he asked.

"To protect the one I care about," Haku replied immediately.

Naruto smiled at him, glad to see that Haku has not changed from his world's version of him. "You're right…and you're wrong as well."

Haku only looked baffled at that, not expecting to be challenged. His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Say…if the person you love is someone who does wrong by people, who abuses your love as well as takes advantage of those around them…would that still be strength, Haku?" Naruto asked.

"..." Haku didn't respond immediately and looked to his feet in deep thought. "Even still…if that person you love was the one that gave you purpose, that stuck by you when the world turned its back…it is still strength."

"You're right…" Naruto responded, "but that strength also comes from cowardice."

Haku stepped back at those words, as if struck.

"True strength is to do what is right, no matter the circumstances, as well as protecting those you love…sometimes, those two things come into conflict and it becomes difficult to know what to do. I wish I could say that I have the wisdom to always know for sure what is right in any situation, but I'd be lying." Naruto gazed at the sky, which was orange, nearing the time for sunset. "I just know that sometimes protecting the one you love is not enough at the expense of other people's suffering."

Naruto then turned to Haku and looked solemnly at him. "There are very few people in this world that have that true strength, Haku, and those who do, often do not have the might to stay alive for long. It is why this world is the way it is."

Haku was once again in deep contemplation, emotions showing on his face that made him look adorable in the dress he was wearing.

Naruto chuckled to himself, breaking Haku out of his thoughs. "Words to feed the mind, but who am I to say all of these things when we don't even know each other."

Naruto then raised a hand and held it towards Haku. "So let me show you something."

Haku only looked confused, eyes flickering between his bandaged hands and his blind folded eyes. "...What do you want me to do?"

"Take it," Naruto said.

Haku hesitated…but in the end, he did take it, curious as to what this blond enigma had to show him.

The moment his hand touched Naruto's he felt his hair stand on end as what felt like the cosmos stared back at him. This…person, his chakra was like the sun, and as he smiled and gripped his hand a bit tighter. Haku felt the torrent of chakra flowing into him, strong and unyielding like a river, no, like the unforgiving currents of the ocean.

Haku saw…no he felt the person in front of him. He felt who he was, he felt his feelings, his hopes and dreams, his thoughts, his love, his hate, his joy, his misery, his…everything. It wasn't like Haku saw through his memories, but somehow all these feelings allowed him to know just the type of person Naruto was. He was kind and energetic, joyful and brought life to any he interacted with.

And in return, Haku felt Naruto knowing him, understanding his pain and loyalty, his sorrow and tragedy, his…

Haku snatched his hands away from Naruto's in fright.

"Wh–what did you do?!" Haku exclaimed, "what was that?!"

"That was Ninshu," Naruto responded. "True Ninshu. A bond only those who know its practice can do. It is what the Sage of six paths had taught when he shared this gift to the world. Chakra was supposed to be a tool used for understanding and love…but his teachings were tarnished and instead, chakra was used as a weapon…by his own son, no less…"

Then Naruto looked at him curiously. "Say, you're actually a…girl? I…I actually felt more yin energy than yang energy within you."

Haku needed to get out of here. That had been too close. His…no, her identity had almost been discovered. "Of course I'm a girl. Why did you think I dressed like this?"

Then, realising that she may be talking to a blind person, she cursed a bit. "Sorry, you can't see. I–couldn't you tell through my voice?"

"No, it's just…nevermind," Naruto muttered. He wanted to curse the Haku of his world for messing with him with his cross dressing. It turned out that the Haku in this world actually was a girl…just like Sasuke had turned into Sarada.

Another weird multiversal thing.

Except this one made more sense with how pretty Haku was in both of their worlds. Perhaps the one in his original one was just the odd one out and the rest of the Haku's out there were girls.

"I have to leave now," Haku said.

Naruto nodded but before Haku turned to leave, he called out. "Hey…I'll be here tomorrow if you want to come and find me. I didn't get much from sensing you because I wanted you to feel who I am first, but I sensed enough to know that you're pretty strong. If you want a sparring partner or something…let me know."

Haku hesitated but she gave a curt nod before running off.

As Naruto watched her retreating form, he sighed.

"Scared her away, didn't ya?" He said to himself. "Maybe I shouldn't have come on this strong."

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–Meanwhile with Kushina–

"You're progressing well, but it's still a bit slower than I thought…" Kushina said.

Tsunami looked down in shame. "I'm sorry…"

Kushina shook her head and held up her hands placatingly. "It's not a bad thing. Some people progress faster than others in some aspects of the shinobi arts. For now, I've taught you how to feel and control the chakra within yourself, and to grow your capacity…but your natural capacity is less than average as you're a civilian, having not trained it when you were little. It's not something we can't fix but it'll just take longer."

Tsunami shook her head, dejected. She'd been feeling her growth over the past few days, even though all she'd done was sitting around and learning how to channel chakra. The additional capacity she'd made, albeit small, had already affected her energy levels throughout her home duties, as well as making her feel less sore and stronger at the same time. It was…sort of like a miracle energy.

"Here," Kushina said, handing over a leaf. Tsunami had already been told what to do with it earlier today. She stuck the leaf on her head and concentrated, manipulating her chakra as she was taught but it kept falling off of her. Over the next hour, she gradually became more and more tired, showing just how little her chakra capacity was.

"You know…" Kushina commented from her own meditation, training in something else that required deep concentration.

"Yes, Lady Kushina?" Tsunami asked. When Kushina had taken off her averting eyes seal, Tsunami had been stunned by just how jaw droppingly gorgeous Kushina was, and for the first time in her life she'd met someone that made her feel…rather insignificant in comparison. Tsunami was not blind to her own beauty, though she'd gained a bit of weight these past few years, and she was often regarded as the most beautiful person in the town or even the country. To have someone stand next to her and make her feel like a face in the background had sparked a sort of unconscious reverence to her mentor.

"There is a quicker way to expand your capacity…" Kushina stated.

Tsunami perked up at that. She'd initially agreed to this training because she wanted to protect her father and her son so that no one else would be able to take from them or hurt them. She was a gentle soul whose will had diminished over the death of her second husband, Kaiza, but she was still able to stand up for her family regardless.

"How so, lady Kushina?" Tsunami asked.

Kushina brushed her impeccable silky crimson hair that practically glowed in the dimming sunlight. To Tsunami, she seemed otherworldly at this moment. As if Kushina wasn't human. "I won't lie to you Tsunami. I had offered to train you initially not only for the reasons of protecting your family, but so I could put this option on the table."

Tsunami straightened up and gulped. "Wh–what is it?"

"You know Naruto, my kind and wonderful partner in this mission?" Kushina asked, a wistful smile on her face at the thought of her son.

Tsunami nodded. Over the past few days, she'd come to know the kind and gentle soul that was Hagoromo Naruto. He'd even spent yesterday night, talking over things with her son, Inari, and even she could see that the blond was winning over her son's trust, little by little.

Moreover, she'd seen him use his incredible clone jutsu to hunt for food and brough large quantities back not only to her and her family but to the villagers and those in need as well. "He's very kind indeed. He's a joyful soul that oddly reminds me of my late husband…what about him?"

Kushina smiled at her and it was one with such warmth that Tsunami's breath caught in her throat. It was the warmth that she had when speaking about Naruto. "Yes, I treat him like my son, although we aren't technically related by blood. I love him to death and…he can sort of help you."

"Really?" Tsunami asked.

"Really, but…the method is rather embarrassing to him. You see, he has a rare bloodline where his chakra is very potent. You can take some of that potent chakra and grow your capacity, however you have to do it by…ingesting his semen."

"...what?" Tsunami could only respond dumbly.

"Yes it sounds weird," Kushina continued, "but he has a condition which he can't control. It is called the Hagoromo lust. It practically puts him into a breeding or heat cycle like that of a cat's where he'd need to…release his pent up stress with a partner."

Tsunami blushed, heated. "I–I can't possibly have sex with him. My heart still belongs to my husband and he's…practically ten years younger than me."

Kushina rolled her eyes. "I'm not asking you to date him or marry him, Tsunami. It's just…a temporary arrangement to comfort each other. I know you've been feeling lonely, and my son is far beyond just handsome. You've been looking at him, I can tell."

Tsunami's blush became redder. "It–it is just from curiosity. Not any sort of ill begotten thoughts."

Kushina chuckled, seeing how flustered Tsunami was becoming. "Like I said, It's just an offer that's on the table. You can refuse without any consequences. I'll still train you to be the best you can be with the time we have…but, don't you want to be the strongest you can possibly be for your family?"

Tsunami became silent at that, loyalty warring against duty in her mind and heart.

"You are not betraying your husband, Tsunami," Kushina added, "You're simply doing what is best for your family. Tell you what, we can do a trial run if you want."

Tsunami's eyes flicked over to Kushina's own violet gems. "What do you mean?"

Kushina gave a foxy smirk. "Well…It'll be tomorrow night when Naruto is going to feel the lust hitting him. Since I'm sort of his surrogate mother, I can't go over our boundaries to relieve him…but I can still use my hands. Why don't you…come and watch us and see if you can handle it?"

Tsunami gulped.

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